Pool swim season in Milford, DE
When can you swim in an outdoor pool in Milford, DE?
An unheated pool in Milford reaches 78°F in Aug, about 1 month a year. The air allows up to 5 swimmable months with a heater (May to Sep).
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Heater options for a Milford pool, side by side
| Option | Months | Swimmable | Energy/yr | All-in/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No heater | 1 | Aug | $0 | $0 |
| Solar cover only | 3 | Jul to Sep | $0 | $50 |
| Solar panels + cover | 4 | Jun to Sep | $0 | $283 |
| Heat pump + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $182 | $732 |
| Gas heater + cover | 5 | May to Sep | $323 | $748 |
For a 450 sq ft pool held at 80°F, at DE prices of 18.0¢/kWh electricity and $16/Mcf gas. All-in spreads the purchase over the equipment's life.
The cheapest way to the full season in Milford
Solar panels + cover: 4 of 5 possible months for about $283 a year all-in, which works out near $94 for each month it adds.
Before you pay for any heater, buy a solar cover: on its own it adds 2 months here for about $50 a year (why a cover comes first). If you get quotes, ask for a heat pump sized to your pool's surface area; here it beats gas all-in (heat pump or gas).
Weather station: Greenwood 2NE, 10.5 mi away (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). Water temperature is estimated from air and sunshine, not measured.
Milford month by month: air, sun and pool water
| Month | Air high | Air avg | Sun kWh/m²/day | Water, unheated | Water, covered | Heat pump $ | Gas $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44° | 35° | 2.2 | 36° | 42° | – | – |
| Feb | 46° | 36° | 3.0 | 35° | 41° | – | – |
| Mar | 54° | 43° | 4.0 | 41° | 47° | – | – |
| Apr | 65° | 54° | 5.2 | 51° | 57° | – | – |
| May | 73° | 63° | 5.8 | 61° | 67° | $141 | $244 |
| Jun | 82° | 72° | 6.3 | 71° | 77° | $32 | $63 |
| Jul | 87° | 77° | 6.2 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Aug | 85° | 75° | 5.5 | 78° | 84° | – | – |
| Sep | 79° | 68° | 4.5 | 73° | 79° | $9 | $16 |
| Oct | 68° | 57° | 3.3 | 63° | 69° | – | – |
| Nov | 57° | 47° | 2.5 | 52° | 58° | – | – |
| Dec | 48° | 39° | 1.9 | 42° | 48° | – | – |
Heating costs most in May (about $141 with a heat pump, $244 with gas). Sunshine peaks in Jun at 6.3 kWh/m²/day (NASA satellite data, 46.1 km grid cell). Highlighted months are swimmable with no heater.
How Milford compares with nearby cities
Milford ranks 5 of 6 Delaware cities for unheated swim months; Dover, Smyrna, Easton nearby get a longer season without a heater.
| City | Distance | Unheated months | Heat pump months | Heat pump $/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dover, DE | 18 mi | 2 | 5 | $139 |
| Smyrna, DE | 28 mi | 2 | 5 | $139 |
| Easton, MD | 36 mi | 2 | 5 | $125 |
| Bridgeton, NJ | 37 mi | 1 | 5 | $257 |
| Salisbury, MD | 38 mi | 2 | 6 | $223 |
| Millville, NJ | 39 mi | 0 | 5 | $291 |